0:00 When I see brother Balasundar Rao, I always feel I am a very young man. There is no place I go where I see someone as old as him leading the meeting. Nowhere in the world. 0:25 So we praise the Lord for such a brother. I pray he will live long and serve the Lord for many years. So, this is our subject. 0:46 The world is passing away, but he who does the will of God lives forever. The New Testament speaks about the world in two ways. 1:12 John 3, 16, God so loved the world. That's referring to the people of the world. And the Bible says, even if they are your enemies, you must love them. 1:38 If there is one person on earth whom you hate, you are disobeying the word of God. Because everybody in the world is either a friend or an enemy. 2:01 And we love our friends and Jesus said, we must love our enemies. God doesn't hate anybody. And the more you become like God, the more you will love people. 2:24 In the beginning, before we are converted, there is a lot of hatred in our heart for so many people. We love those who love us and those who don't love us, we hate. 2:45 That's how the whole world is. And that's why there are so many wars and fighting and houses and everything. But then a day comes when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. 3:07 And in this dark, black, inside of us, a little light comes in. But that black thing called the flesh, which we inherited from Adam, doesn't go away as soon as we are born again. 3:35 It will not go away completely until Jesus returns. So we must remember that. But it is not God's will that that little white light that has come in should remain that small little circle forever. 4:00 God wants us to eliminate hatred from our life completely. And even though we may not be able to get rid of this Adam's nature till Jesus comes. 4:22 Because of that, we will be tempted every day. From those lusts inside. But, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we don't have to yield to those lusts. 4:44 So this is the first thing I want to say. The people of the world, God loves. He hates all the sin that they commit. But He loves the people. How do we know He loves the people? 5:06 There is no greater love that a man can have than to lay down his life for somebody else. And the Bible says in Romans 5. You must know this verse. 5:30 Verse 8. God demonstrates His own love for us. In that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. 5:53 To many people, we say with words we love you. But when it comes to your own children, you'd be even willing to lay down your life to save them. You won't lay down your love for some stranger. 6:14 And you'll definitely not lay down your life for somebody who hates you and is your enemy. There we see the love of God. We were not His friends. 6:35 The Bible says we were His enemies. Everyone who lives in sin is actually acting in enmity towards God. And while we were enemies, God sent His Son to die for His enemies. 6:55 Now, we've heard that so often that we don't think about it enough. But today, just think about it. Before you gave your life to Christ. 7:17 You are the enemy of God. Me also. It says here in verse 10. While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son. So, when did God send His Son to die? 7:43 When people were His enemies. Even the people who killed Him, Jesus died for them. That is the greatness of God's love. And the Bible says, we must partake of that nature. 8:08 But very few believers partake of it. We find it difficult even to love our fellow believers in the same church. Where are you going to love your enemies? To love the people in your own church is like kindergarten lesson. 8:42 To love your enemies is college lesson. If you don't pass kindergarten, how can you go to college? So, let's first learn to love one another. Love one another does not mean you got to agree with everybody. 9:07 Most people in the world, I don't agree with. Even many Christians, I don't agree with. Because, I don't hate them, but I disagree with them because they are not obeying God's word. There are people who call themselves Christians. 9:29 Who pray to Mary. Who make idols of Jesus. Who make idols of Jesus. And light candles there. Who baptize little babies and make them say they are children of God. I don't hate them. But I don't agree with them at all. 9:50 But I can love them. But then we think of people in our own church who agree with us in almost all the doctrines. We must first learn to love them. Then God will expand our heart to love others. 10:16 People who do harm to us, we will be able to do good to them. And little by little, our heart will become like God's own nature. This is the first, most important lesson to learn. 10:40 And if we don't learn this. All the convocations we go to and all the knowledge we get is only going into our heads. When you stand before Jesus one day when he comes back. 11:04 He is not going to ask you how well you can sing. How many songs you know. He is not even going to ask you how many verses in the Bible you know. He is going to ask you whether you love him with all your heart. And whether you love one another. 11:25 So God loved the world. That is the people of the world. So as I said the world has got two meanings in the New Testament. It is important to understand that. In the Old Testament. If they talked about the world. 11:46 They hardly talked about the world. But there is only people. Because the Israelites had no understanding. Of this world system. That is why in the Old Testament you hardly ever read about Satan. 12:12 You read about Satan once in Genesis chapter 3. And then once in 1 Chronicles 21. Job chapter 1 and 2. And then you read in Zechariah chapter 3. 12:35 Altogether maybe 5 or 6 places. Because Satan does not come too much in the Old Testament. God's people never fought with Satan in the Old Testament. They could not. 12:55 It is like sending a little child to fight against a giant. And the giant is not only strong. He has got so many weapons. So God never allowed the Israelites to fight with Satan. 13:19 You never read even Moses or John the Baptist casting out a demon. Why am I saying that? In the New Testament you read about the world in two ways. One is the people of the world as I said. 13:43 The second is this invisible system called the world. And that is ruled by the devil. And it is Jesus who first revealed this system to us. And so when it says here. 14:08 That we are not to love the world. That the world is passing away. It is not just talking about this earth. Because in 1 John 2.16. The world is described like this. 14:30 It is not people. This is different from John 3.16. There God loved the world. That is people. But in 1 John 2.15. 14:51 It says don't love the world. What does that mean? God loved the world and we are told not to love the world. These are two different meanings of the word world. One is the people of the world. 15:13 All the people in the world we have to love. Those who hate us. Those who harm us. Those who are our enemies. But the system of the world. But the system of the world controlled by the devil. That we must hate. 15:34 And that world is described in verse 16. As the lust of the flesh. The lust of the eyes. And the pride of life. That is a system that makes us sin. 15:55 It is an invisible system. Controlled by the devil. Now I want you to see something what Jesus said. Who has got all authority in heaven and earth. 16:19 Matthew 28 verse 18. This is not talking about the world. It is talking about the earth. We need to distinguish between world and earth. Earth is all the nations. 16:43 All the people here. Our Lord Jesus has got all authority in heaven and on this earth. That is a great verse. You must always remember it. 17:04 Because Jesus Christ has got all authority in heaven and earth. Therefore what should we do? It says go. And make disciples. In India. In Andhra. In Telangana. In every country. 17:26 Make disciples. Why? He said because I have all authority in heaven and earth. So when Jesus said that. The biggest ruler of the world was the country of Rome. 17:51 They were more powerful than America and Russia and everything. So even though Rome was ruling Israel also. Pilate was appointed by Rome to rule over that area. But Jesus said I have got authority over the whole earth. 18:15 So don't be afraid if Rome or idol worshippers are ruling the world. That doesn't matter. There were no Christian country in those days. Even today there is no Christian country. 18:38 Some people think America is a Christian country. Actually it is more heathen than India. There is no Christian country. There is more sin. Open sin over there than in our country. 19:00 The cinemas that come from there are the filthiest in the whole world. There is no Christian country. All authority in heaven and earth is given to the Lord. That is why it does not matter who is the political party ruling India. 19:23 Whoever wins the elections in Andhra Telangana India. It makes no difference. Because Jesus Christ has got all authority over India. 19:47 It says that here. Therefore we preach the gospel. Maybe they will imprison us if we preach it. Maybe they will kill us. That is okay. Our job is not to live but to preach the gospel. 20:09 He never told us you must live long. Jesus himself died when he was 33. Stephen died when he was probably 28. James the apostle died when he was 30. 20:32 Very young. They were not here to live long. They were here to be witnesses for Christ. And that time may come very soon in India also. But we must never come out of love. 20:53 We must love everybody. So all authority in heaven and earth belongs to Jesus. But even though Jesus is the ruler of heaven and earth. Who is the ruler of this world? 21:14 John 14.30 You need to distinguish between earth and world. We must read the scripture carefully. All authority in earth belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ. 21:36 Over India. In every state in India. So we preach the gospel. Without fear. But John 14.30 Jesus said the ruler of this world comes and he has got nothing in me. So Jesus has got all authority in heaven and earth. 22:10 But Satan is the ruler of this world. That was spoken just before he went to the cross. In Ephesians 6. In Ephesians 6. Paul says. In verse 12. 22:33 That our struggle. Is against. These powers. And world forces of darkness. Spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Rulers of this world. Here again you find the word world there. 23:02 Rulers of the world. And we are to fight against them. Who are the rulers of this world? That's not Jesus Christ. That is not Jesus Christ. He has got all authority over heaven and earth. And over India and every country. 23:21 But he is speaking about this system. The world system. Which is controlled by the devil. So we need to understand a little bit about this world system. The devil. The devil. The devil. 23:41 Jesus said. Is a murderer. And a liar. John chapter 8. So we are trying to understand this word world in this verse. Then only we know how to stand against it. 24:02 And then only we know why it's going to pass away. John chapter 8. Verse 44. When Jesus said. You are of your father the devil. Do you know who he was talking to? 24:23 They are people who said in verse 39. Abraham is our father. Abraham is our father. We are Jews. We came from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 24:44 Jesus said no. Abraham is not your father. Because he said. If you are Abraham's children. Verse 40. You will not try to kill me. You are actually doing the deeds of your father. Verse 41. 25:06 Then they went one step higher. They said. Not only Abraham. They said. God is our father. Verse 41. And he said. If God were your father. You would love me. Then. These are Jews. Who said. God is our father. 25:31 Today there are. Who are the people who say. God is our father. The. Mostly Christians. Christ. Other religions. They don't call God father. Christians only pray. Our father. Who are in heaven. 25:54 And when Christians. Come to Jesus. And say. God is our father. Let me say this. Very respectfully. Jesus will say. To many of them. No. No. If God were your father. Verse 42. You will love me. 26:18 Do you know that most people. Who call them some Christians. Don't love Jesus. They love sin. You can't love sin. And love Jesus. It's not possible. That's like. That's like. A woman trying to love two men. 26:43 If you say. I'm married to this man. But I love that other man. Then. You're not a wife. You're a prostitute. You're a prostitute. You're a prostitute. You're a prostitute. You're a prostitute. You're a prostitute. You're a prostitute. 26:55 You're a prostitute. You're a prostitute. You're a prostitute. So. If I say. I love Jesus. But I fool around with sin. I'm not the bride of Jesus. I'm Babylon the harlot. You're a prostitute. So. 27:16 Jesus would say to many Christians today. You don't love me. You don't love me. Then God is not your father. If God is your father. You'll love me. And. Do you know what Jesus will say to many who call themselves Christians today? 27:39 Verse 44. Your father is the devil. Now if you say that to somebody. That is like insulting him. Your father is the devil. I don't like to say that to anybody. 28:00 I've never said it also. But when Jesus says it. It is serious. He said it to people. Because they did not love him. How do we know. That. We love God. 28:20 I'll show you two things. John 14. Verse 15. Jesus said. Jesus said. If you love me. You will keep my commandments. That's the number one thing. 28:42 The only people sitting here. Who can say. I love Jesus Christ. Are those who are really trying to obey all his commandments. If I am not seeking to obey God's commandments in my office. In my home. Everywhere. 29:02 If I am not seeking to obey God's commandments. I don't really love Jesus. I love myself. That is the first test of whether you love Jesus. Remember what Jesus said. If God were your father you will love me. 29:24 You say. Lord I love you. Jesus says. If you love me. You will keep my commandments. You don't keep his commandments. You don't love him. Then one more thing. One John. 29:46 Verse 15. Chapter 2 verse 15. In the middle of that verse. We will read the whole verse. Don't love the world or the things in the world. Because if anyone loves the world. The love of the father is not in him. 30:07 This is not talking about the people of the world. We must love them. It's talking about this world system. Controlled by the devil. Don't love that. Because you don't. You can't love the father then. Now turn back to John 8.44. 30:31 Jesus says. Your father is the devil. And there are two things he says about Satan. John 8.44. He was a murderer. And towards the end of that verse. 30:51 He is a liar. Remember this. He is a liar. And he is a murderer. When someone. Kills a woman. He is cutting off. Cutting her off from her husband. 31:18 That's what. Satan did to Adam and Eve. Cut them off from God. Their husband. God was the husband of Adam and Eve. Satan killed that relation. He was a murderer. 31:40 He was also a liar. When Eve said. God has told us not to eat from this tree. Otherwise we will die. Satan said. No you will not die. Lie. That's why Jesus said. He is a liar. 32:01 And he is a murderer. So that is the one who is ruling this world. Remember these two things. The ruler of this world. Is a liar. And a murderer. He will tell you lies. 32:23 And he will murder. And he will murder your relationship with God. Just like. Just like he murdered. The relationship Adam and Eve had with God. So. How does he do that? 32:44 He does that through this system called the world. And there are many things in this world. And there are many things in this world. By which he tries to. Destroy us. For example. 33:05 One of the lies he will tell you. Is that money is the most important thing in the world. He tells that to everybody. He tells that to everyone. The most important thing in the world. 33:28 Is not partaking of God's nature. But getting money. You must get money by any means. Cheating your business. That's okay. But get money. Tell lies and get money. 33:51 Give bribes. And get money. He is always. Why do people do it? Even people who call themselves Christians. Money is the most important thing. And when you get it. Keep it all to yourself. 34:12 Don't give anything to God. And don't give anything to help poor people. Let them suffer. You keep everything you've got for yourself. Are you like that? You've got to search your heart. 34:36 Then we have to say. The God of this world has deceived you. That is how he deceives people. That is how he deceives people. Shall I tell you what is the most important thing in the world? It is to partake of God's nature. 34:56 It is to partake of God's nature. There is absolutely nothing to equal that. Do you think God can give you anything greater than his own nature? You are so foolish. You know supposing you could go to a dog. 35:21 You know it would be a wonderful thing if a dog can become a human being. Don't you think so? Boy what a difference that will make if a dog in your house can become a human being. But that is not as great a miracle as we getting God's nature. 35:43 For a sinful human being to get God's nature is greater than a dog becoming a human being. But dogs are not interested in that. 36:05 You say, you ask a dog what do you want? Give me bones. More bones. Give me more bones than that other dog. And that is how people also say give me money more than other people. 36:27 There is no difference between that and the dog saying give me more bones than that dog there. You won't let any other dog come near my bones here. No. When the angels look down at human beings collecting money like that. 36:47 They will look at it exactly like that. Exactly like a dog fighting about bones. The angels feel sad when they see God's children thinking money is the most important thing. 37:19 God can give money to anybody. In the Bible he says all the silver and the gold is mine. But in the new covenant. He didn't give a lot of money to his apostles. 37:40 In the old covenant he gave money to different people like Job, Abraham, David. But the prophets even in the old testament were all very poor. The greatest prophets. 38:02 Jeremiah. He was not a rich man. John the Baptist. He was not a rich man. God's prophets have always been not rich. God's prophets have always been not rich. And in the new testament. All the apostles were like that. 38:22 Now they could have become rich. The apostle Paul was the son of a very rich businessman. But he lost everything because he became a Christian. I know many people in our country who lost all their family wealth. 38:45 Because they gave up their religion and became Christians. Parents said you will get no inheritance. And I praise God. They said we don't want the inheritance. We want Jesus Christ. 39:11 They have learned that money is not the greatest thing. So that is the first way that God in this world tries to fool people. That's why even Christians do wrong things to get money. 39:34 For example. Supposing a father has died. And there are two brothers. And one brother does not give the share of the property to the other brother. Don't you think that's wrong? Yes it is wrong. 39:55 The father wants the property to be divided equally between his two sons. But one son just takes everything. If somebody came to you like that. What would you do? What advice would you give him? 40:15 There was a man like that who came to Jesus. Luke chapter 12. Verse 13. Someone in the crowd said to Jesus. Teacher tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me. Luke 12 13. Now you would think Jesus would say. 40:41 Hey that's wrong. Call your brother here. I'll talk to him. I mean if. An elder. If somebody comes to an elder in a church. Won't he say. Call the other person. I'll talk to him. 41:04 But. Jesus said no. He says. I'm not a judge. I didn't come here on earth to divide property. I came here. I came here to give you riches in heaven. Not to get property on earth. 41:24 And he said. Don't be careful about greed. About wanting more and more money. Verse 15. That man could have said. Lord I'm not asking for anybody else's money. I'm asking for my own share of my family inheritance. 41:48 To get my family inheritance. Is that greed? You call it greed. I'm only asking. I'm not asking for somebody else's money. 42:10 Jesus said. It is greed. You mean to say. We should not get our family inheritance? No. If you get it freely. Without a fight. Take it. But if you're going to fight for it. It's greed. 42:32 Once somebody came to me like that. Tell my brother to divide the property with me. You know what I told him? Same thing what Jesus said. Beware of greed. Don't come to me to divide property. 42:55 I'm here to preach to you. How to partake of God's nature. Not how to partake of your family inheritance. So. I want to emphasize this. Because. From childhood. Everybody in the world has told us. 43:16 Money is the most important thing. I want you to know. That is what the ruler of the world wants you to believe. 43:36 And he's a liar. It is not the most important thing. He wants you to believe that lie. Because he's a murderer. Because he wants to prevent you from loving God. He said. You say. How can money make me? 43:57 Hinder me from loving God. Having money will not hinder you from loving God. I've also got money and I've got money in my bank account to live on this earth. No one can live without money. 44:19 Even Jesus needed money. And he also had a savings account. Judas Iscariot was the banker. It was a very bad bank because he was stealing all his money. Because he did save money for taking care of the disciples needs. 44:48 But there is nothing wrong in having money or having a savings account. Put it in a good bank. Put it in a good bank. Not like a Judas Iscariot. Because it's God's money. 45:09 There's nothing wrong in that. But to love it. That is serious. To have it is not wrong. But to love it is wrong. The Bible does not say money is the root of all evil. 45:31 But it says in 1 Timothy 6. And verse 10. The love of money is the root of every evil. Look at that. Every type of evil. 45:53 Not one or two things. All sorts of evil. Shall I tell you some of the evil done through love of money? Almost every day we read in the paper somewhere. Someone goes and kills somebody. To steal the money in the house. 46:18 Isn't that evil? The love of money made him kill somebody. Or some girl goes and becomes a prostitute. Sells her body to get money. Isn't it evil to become a prostitute? 46:41 Why are they doing it? For money. A lot of people do that at very high levels. But there are models and film actresses who are also doing that type of thing. Thousands of increase. A lot of people do that at very high levels. 47:00 Because they want to live in a big house and have a car and all that. So these women sell their body. So these women sell their body. And they sell their body to all these advertisements to show themselves half naked. Which you see in the newspapers and magazines. 47:30 And all these billboards on the road. Half naked women. Why are they doing that? For money. That is evil. But the love of money has made them do that evil. Look at the fights there are in homes. 47:52 For dowry. How many people in India kill themselves because they can't give enough dowry to their husband. I have conducted marriages in my church for 40 years. Before I conduct a marriage. 48:14 I get a certificate from the bride and the bridegroom. That there has been no exchange of money between our parents in this marriage. No dowry. No exchange of anything. 48:34 I say. If you don't give me that science certificate. I will not conduct your marriage. That is our standard as Christians. What a lot of evil there is because of the love of money. Money is not evil. 48:54 Jesus used it. The love of money is great evil. And here is the greatest evil. Luke 16. Here is the greatest evil that comes from the love of money. Not murder or prostitution. 49:17 Luke 16. Verse 13. You cannot serve two masters. You will hate the one, love the other. Hold to the one, despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 49:40 Mammon is a word which includes money, property, wealth, everything. And he says it is a master. And he says it is a master. Controlled by the God of this world, the devil. And when we read in that verse, the world is passing away, the world is passing away, don't love it. 50:03 This is one part of the world that is going to pass away. And the other master is God. So Jesus did not say, God and Satan are the two masters. He said you are God and mammon. He said you are God and mammon. 50:29 God and money. Now if I were to ask you. Now if I were to ask you, do you serve God and the devil? You say no. It's impossible. But if I were to ask you, do you serve God and money? 50:54 Then you have to think. Supposing you have a choice. In some situation. Where you have to make a choice. Now shall I serve God or shall I serve money? 51:14 When you are a true Christian, sometimes you have to make that choice. Many Christians have to make that choice. It's like, shall I serve the God of this world or the God of heaven? There was this brother who was working in an office as an accountant. 51:38 So before he was converted, he would write all false accounts like the company bosses wanted him to do. And one day he got converted. Born again. The Holy Spirit came in. And the Holy Spirit said, you cannot write false accounts anymore. 52:04 But he'd been working there so many years, he'd come to high position. So he went to his boss. And said, sir, I can't write these false accounts anymore. Why? Why can't you do it? You've been doing it 15 years. 52:26 He said, now I've become a Christian. Yeah, he said, many Christians also write false accounts. He said, I'm not that type of Christian. So he went to the people in his church. Some pastor. 52:46 Pastor said, we have to do such things if we live in this world. You have to adjust a little bit and live. Otherwise you won't be able to live. But he did not listen to the pastor. He listened to his conscience. 53:08 You must listen to your conscience more than you listen even to leaders in the church. So he told the boss in his office, I can't do this. They fired him from his job. He had a wife and daughter. 53:31 And he was absolutely confused. Because all the people in the church told him, you're a fool. Now, he had read a book of mine. He had read one book of mine. He never knew me. I never knew him. But he took a train and came all the way to Bangalore to see me. 53:59 He came to my house. And he said, Brother Zach, you don't know me. I came here just to ask you one question. And he told me the story. Just tell me one thing, Brother Zach. Did I do what was right? Because the people in my church said, I did wrong. 54:24 So I told him, Brother, you did the absolutely right thing. You pleased God. And now, you won't have money to buy food for your wife and daughter. 54:46 You may die. Your wife may die. Your daughter may die. But it's better to die and obey God. After he listened to that, I said, do you agree? Do you agree? He said, yes. 55:07 Then I said, you won't die. Because the Bible, God says, those who honor me, I will honor. For 6,000 years, God has always honored those who honor him. I said, I have proved it in my life 55:28 when I was in the Navy and in many places. For all people who honor God, God honors them. So I said, you won't die. I was just wanting to find out whether you're prepared to die in order to honor God. 55:51 Your wife won't die, your daughter will not die. I said, I don't have any influence to get you a job. But God has got so much influence. So I don't know what he'll do for you. If you go home and praise the Lord, God will honor you. 56:11 You know what God did? He gave him a much better job. Very soon, within a couple of weeks. There he proved in his job, I love God more than I love money. The God of this world 56:32 tried to deceive him even through other Christians. Even through his pastor. Sometimes you may think, oh, this is a nice man. He cannot be an agent of Satan. 56:54 Can a pastor be an agent of Satan? Yes, if he tells you something against God's word. Did Eve look like a devil when she tempted Adam to sin? 57:17 No. She looked the same pretty woman she was before. Can a pretty woman tempt you to sin? Yes. What about Peter when he told Jesus, no, don't go to the cross. 57:37 Jesus said, get away Satan. Satan can come through Peter. He can come through anybody. But Jesus said, I will obey my father. So, it says here, if you love money, 57:57 you cannot love God. That is the worst part of the love of money. Luke 16, 13. 13. Hey, he will hate the one and love the other. 58:19 That means if you love money, you hate God. How many of you knew that? How many of you knew that? So, that's the first lesson we need to learn in this session. Money is not the greatest thing. If you believe that, the God of this world 58:40 will have power over you. In these days, we want to expose the God of this world so that he cannot fool us anymore. One last verse. 59:02 1 John 4. 4. Verse 4. You are from God, little children, and you overcome them because greater is the one who is in you than one who is in the world. 59:23 Jesus living in me and in you is greater than the devil in the world. That's why we can overcome. He may look strong like Goliath. God is with us like he was with David. 59:44 Goliath will come down. So, we need to know the schemes of the God of this world. Number one. Tell the devil. Money is not the greatest thing in this world. To partake of God's nature is the greatest thing. 1:00:10 Amen. Amen. Amen.
